October 20, 2009

Purdue police urge use of designated bicycle paths, stress rider and pedestrian safety

The university will soon install signs at marked bike paths in order to separate bicycle traffic from pedestrians and vehicles as much as possible.

"There is no way to totally eliminate bicycle interaction with pedestrians and vehicles, but we do have some areas that are designated specifically for bicycle traffic," said Carol Shelby, senior director of environmental health and public safety. "We would like for the university community to be aware of those areas where we can separate the different types of traffic."

In 2008 three accidents involving bicycles and motorists were reported. Since January there have been seven such reports.

"We don't have a lot of reports of accidents involving bicyclists and pedestrians, but they are in close contact, too," police Chief John Cox said. "In most cases, a pedestrian cannot hear a bicycle coming from behind. If the pedestrian makes a sudden turn, it could put him or her right into the bicyclist's path. So, we want people on bikes to be courteous, use caution and follow road rules, and we want foot traffic to be aware, too."

Police urge several safety measures for cyclists riding in traffic, including being aware of the vehicles around them. Other measures include:

* Don't wear headphones when riding in the street. Cyclists need to be able to hear approaching vehicles and pedestrians.

* Wear a helmet for protection. Non-helmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than helmeted riders, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.

* Wear eye protection, which will keep bugs and other debris from hampering your vision.

* To make sure motorists see them, cyclists should have operable reflectors. Add a bright light in the front and rear of the bike if riding at night.

For bicycle/pedestrian safety, police say:

* Riders should warn pedestrians that they are approaching by using a bell or calling out, for example, "passing to the right."

* Walk the bike through congested areas, including crosswalks.

Cox said anyone owning or riding bikes on campus must obey applicable state laws and ordinances. Bicycle regulations are online at http://www.purdue.edu/parking/pdf/ParkingRegs.pdf

It is unknown how many bicycles are on campus at a given time, however, 671 bikes have been registered with the Purdue Police Department. The department encourages registration in case a bicycle is reported lost or stolen. Individuals can pick up a sticker at the police department, 205 S. Martin Jischke Drive. The department will log the sticker number and information into a database.

Writer: Jim Bush, 765-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu

Sources:   Carol Shelby, 765-494-7504, cshelby@purdue.edu

John Cox, 765-494-8221, jkcox@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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